Dallas mother sends COVID-19 to unborn daughter, says hospital
It appears that a Dallas newborn became ill from the coronavirus while he was still on the disc.
DALLAS – It appears that a Dallas newborn became ill from the coronavirus while he was still on the disc.
Parkland Hospital says this may be the first case of its kind in the United States.
The mother and the newborn baby were not allowed to see each other for weeks.
Parkland believes the baby was infected before she was born. It is the first delivery from the hospital where the baby was already infected. Mother and daughter were separated for 20 days.
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Wendy Figueroa had COVID-19 when she gave birth on May 2 to her daughter Alexa, Alexa, who was born prematurely, was immediately divorced from her mother.
‘Wow. Here is a mother who is sick and unable to see her baby, “said Marjorie Quint-Bouzid, Senior Vice President of Nursing for Women’s Infant Specialty Specialty Health
The newborn tested positive for the virus. Parkland is of the opinion that she contracted it while she was in her mother’s lap.
“So far, it’s the only case we know of in the country,” Quint-Bouzid said.
Parkland says the mother went to the hospital’s COVID-19 unit while the child was in a NICU area designated for infected newborns.
The hospital says it has delivered babies for more than 170 COVID-positive mothers. Only six of those babies tested positive.
In Alexa’s case, the hospital found the virus in Figueroa’s placenta, which supplies oxygen and nutrients to a growing baby.
“We literally had to cling to placenta until we were able to get a lab that could get a test to test placentas,” Quint-Bouzid said.
Alexa is also the only child in Parkland who has shown symptoms, including fever and respiratory problems. That combined with a premature fright for her mother, who just wanted to keep her.
Figueroa says they both do great. She says that when she was finally able to hold her baby after 20 days, her prayers were answered.
“I think there was no dry eye in the room,” Quint-Bouzid said. “We were all just happy.”
Parkland says it is too early to tell about possible health risks along the way for the newborn, but staff will continue to follow up.
RELATED: Interactive map of Texas COVID-19 cases
